The archaeological research carried out within the municipality of Vila do Bispo, particularly over the last decade and as part of the municipal project “Archaeological Chart of the Municipality of Vila do Bispo”, has identified diverse evidence confirming a significant density of traces of human presence during the Middle Ages. These include settlement nuclei such as rural farmsteads and hamlets with considerable areas of influence, agricultural exploitation zones and remains of activities related to marine resources, but also representative testimonies to the cultural diversity, religious coexistence and distinct funerary practices characteristic of this period.

The Museum of Vila do Bispo – Barn of History safeguards three medieval funerary stelae, formerly deposited in the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição – Parish Church of Vila do Bispo, and today displayed to the public in its permanent exhibition. The pieces were transferred in 2023 following the “Specific Cooperation Agreement between the Municipality of Vila do Bispo and the Parish Church of Vila do Bispo for the long-term loan of archaeological objects from the collection of the Parish Church of Vila do Bispo and their exhibition enhancement at the Municipal Museum of Vila do Bispo – Barn of History”, ratified on 22 January 2023, Municipality Day of Vila do Bispo – Saint Vincent’s Day.

Let us begin by describing two discoid tabular stelae, probably recovered from the former cemetery located in the churchyard of the Parish Church of Vila do Bispo and previously incorporated into the Sacred Art collection of this Catholic temple, organised by Father Manuel Madeira Clemente (1947–1989), who, for 42 years, between 1947 and 1989, served the parishes of Vila do Bispo, Raposeira and Sagres.

Carved in locally sourced Silves sandstone, they functioned as funerary markers placed vertically at the head of Christian graves in cemeteries usually arranged within parish churchyards. Broadly speaking, they fit within medieval chronologies and may be dated to the 13th–14th centuries, with several hundreds of similar examples known throughout Portugal and Spain.

As there is no record of its origins, its association with the region is highly plausible, both because of the material used in its carving—which is locally sourced and traditionally known as ‘pedra farinheira’ (a reddish sandstone regionally referred to as ‘grés de Silves’)—and because of the historical background, given that some of the settlements in the present-day municipality of Vila do Bispo already existed in the years 1323 and 1374, namely Budens, Figueira and Raposeira.
Although the Parish Church of Vila do Bispo, dedicated to Nossa Senhora da Conceição, was only built in the late 16th century, it may have received funerary deposits from older nearby temples, possibly originating from the Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe, erected 4 km to the east in the rural landscapes of Raposeira, from the Chapel of Santo António, located 3.6 km to the southwest, or from the now vanished Church of Senhora do Amparo, once situated merely 600 m south-southwest of the Parish Church of Vila do Bispo.

In a municipal record manuscript, handwritten on 30 January 1805 and preserved in the Municipal Archive of Vila do Bispo, we find a direct reference to the Church of Senhora do Amparo, a temple likely damaged by the 1755 Earthquake and wich, having never been restored, was eventually lost over time:

«In the year of Our Lord Jesus Christ one thousand eight hundred and five, on the thirtieth day of January in the year one thousand eight hundred and five, in the town of Vila do Bispo and at the Town Hall of that same town, the Ordinary Judge thereof, Filipe Correia Tello, together with other councillors and the Town Solicitor, were present at a Solemn Council Meeting in accordance with the Law, ruling on the petitions presented and requested by the parties; and therein they fined Bernarda Pereira, a widow, one hundred reis, because the Fiel da Renda do Verde (municipal inspector responsible for rural and agricultural tax revenues) had attested that she had been assigned two plots of wheat land behind the Outeiro; and they fined António José Barata, because during the Town Council Officials’ Roundup held today they found a young sow loose near the Church of Senhora do Amparo and fined him fifty reis plus costs; and Ana Joaquina, a widow, for two pigs found roaming freely in Rossio, fined one hundred reis plus costs; Miguel Dias, fined fifty reis, for a pig found roaming freely in Rossio, plus costs; two pigs belonging to Filipe Correia Tello, fined one hundred reis plus costs; four cattle belonging to José António Lerias for grazing in open fields, and he was fined two hundred reis; and two head of cattle belonging to Francisco Marreiro Pacheco, in Currais and at his own expense, for grazing in the same open fields; and they then ordered the lease of the Renda do Verde e Almotaçarias (market inspectorate duties) to be awarded for eight thousand reis to Joaquim Duarte, Mayor; and to the same man the Renda dos Aferimentos (Weights and Measures Inspection Revenue) for two thousand four hundred reis, offering as security for this his salary and, for the Verde, his bread oven; and they ordered this record to be drawn up, which they deemed complete as there was nothing further to decide. I, Marcelino Xavier Brandão, Town Clerk, who wrote and signed this document’ (Town Council Record, 30 January 1805, Folio 15v).

As for the Chapel of St Anthony, the available information suggests that its origins date back to the Middle Ages, and that it was situated on the ancient pilgrimage route to Cape St Vincent. Prince Henry, finding it deconsecrated, is said to have ordered it restored to worship; being later rebuilt in 1890, as attested by the plaque still visible above the entrance door, which reads “Rebuilt 1890 P.e A B. Vieira”.

Returning to our stelae, presumably originating from old disused cemeteries associated with the aforementioned churches, they appear as two funerary monuments with characteristic forms among the numerous known parallels of the period, exhibiting a circular outline, a rectangular profile, and parallelepiped and trapezoidal bases, a whole which, viewed as ‘head and foot’, has been interpreted by some authors as schematic representations of the human form, that is, anthropomorphic sculptures.

The examples in our collection display decorative features only on their front face (obverse), specifically cruciform symbols carved in bas-relief on the stone surface. The first of the specimens, which is more eroded and probably older (13th century?), measures 65.5 x 32 cm, has a parallelepiped base and features a Cross Pattée oriented at an oblique angle, with expanded, ‘wedge-shaped’ ends. This symbol is commonly associated with the graves of former Templar knight-monks, who, in Portugal, gave rise to the Order of Christ. The second example, with well-preserved surfaces and likely dating from the 14th century, measures 53.5 x 32 cm, has a trapezoidal base and features a Latin Cross, finely engraved in bas-relief, complete and well-crafted, with the ends of the arms cut at an oblique angle and depicting the detail of a triangular base.

A note regarding another stele in the collection of the Lagos Municipal Museum – Dr. José Formosinho, which, according to information provided by João Velhinho of the now defunct Association for the Defence of the Historical and Archaeological Heritage of Vila do Bispo, “appears to originate from the municipality of Vila do Bispo”. This is also a fragmented, disc-shaped tabular stele, featuring a hexalfa motif in relief, a six-pointed star also known as the “Star of David” or “Seal of Solomon”. The piece was carved from reddish sandstone, indicating a Jewish burial. This information is referenced in the work Entre Muralhas e Templos. A intervenção no largo de Santa Maria da Graça Lagos (2004-2005) (Díaz-Guardamino and Móran, 2008, p. 96).

The exhibition collection of the Museum of Vila do Bispo – Barn of History includes another funerary artefact, also from the Parish Church of Vila do Bispo, discovered during conservation work carried out in the early 1960s by the then Directorate-General for National Buildings and Monuments (DGEMN), as part of the national programme of commemorations for the 5th centenary of the death of Prince Henry the Navigator (1460–1960). It is a rare sarcophagus lid bearing a series of inscriptions, carved in high relief, which suggest a possible Jewish tomb.

In the “Bulletin of the Directorate-General for National Buildings and Monuments”, published in March 1962 and entirely dedicated to the Parish Church of Vila do Bispo, we can find some images and a brief note on the circumstances of the discovery of this tombstone, including a proposed interpretation of its origin:

‘The next chapel is that of Senhor dos Passos, a well-carved image, restored in 1955; it was formerly dedicated to St Vincent. The wooden altarpiece, with some simple carving. On the floor lay the curious tombstone which bears, in addition to other ornamental motifs, a spear or dart, with at its base what is commonly called the sign of Saimão, or Sanselimão [Solomon]. ‘Could this be the grave of a Jew? It has even been suggested that it might be the resting place of the Infante’s Israelite physician’ (DGEMN, 1962, p. 14).

Dating from the late 14th century to the early 15th century, with some similar examples identified by us, notably a piece from the medieval necropolis of the Church of Santa Maria de Sintra, currently held at the MASMO – the Archaeological Museum of S. Miguel de Odrinhas – this stele of ours appears to be a tomb slab carved from limestone, of a sub-rectangular shape with bevelled sides, wider at the head end (73 cm) than at the foot end (53 cm), suggesting an anthropomorphic form. The total length of the monolith is 1.56 m, with an average thickness of 14 cm. Centrally and running lengthwise, it features a triangular-based spear with a hexalfa inside, engraved within a circular frame. The spear points towards a decorative composition, also carved in high relief, consisting of a set of five circles, with a central circle filled, inside, by a flower with a bud and seven petals. At the top, centred and set apart from this group, there is a small circle, this time carved in low relief.

Was it carved to mark the tomb of a nobleman of Hebrew origin? Was it dedicated to the ‘Israelite physician of the Infante’?

This interesting tombstone warrants further study, particularly with regard to the symbolic message implied by its decorative design. As for its original funerary context, this is unlikely to be uncovered, unless some illuminating document comes to light during the ongoing archival research.

Finally, in the long-term exhibition at the  Museum of Vila do Bispo – Barn of History, we present a collection of archaeological materials exhumed in 1987 from the Mozarabic necropolis of Padrão, in Raposeira. Located precisely next to the Padrão menhir, a prehistoric monument erected some 6,500 years ago, this medieval necropolis was investigated by Mário Varela Gomes and comprises ten tombs of different types, dating from Late Antiquity, around the 8th–9th centuries (Gomes and Paulo, 2011).

Defying the constraints and limitations of an extreme and peripheral geography, imposed by the great promontory at the south-western tip of Europe, the territory of Vila do Bispo has, throughout history, established itself as a privileged maritime hub between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, between Europe, Africa and the Americas, emerging as a humble multicultural capital made up of people from both near and far, a ‘end-of-the-world’ where new worlds were dreamed of!

In this land shaped by the sea, a genetic matrix cemented by Time itself was forged, with pillars raised by diverse peoples and bricks inherited from different cultures, customs, languages and religions.

Today, 40% of the population of the municipality of Vila do Bispo is of foreign origin, a reality that brings human diversity, ensures community vitality and mitigates the chronic challenges of a sparsely populated area. Indeed, over the ages, particularly during the Middle Ages, Vila do Bispo emerged as an attractive, ‘melting pot’ and unifying socio-cultural epicentre, where sharing, coexistence and tolerance prevailed...

REFERENCED BIBLIOGRAPHY

DÍAZ-GUARDAMINO, Marta; MÓRAN, Elena (2008) – Between Walls and Temples. The Archaeological Intervention at Largo de Santa Maria da Graça, Lagos (2004–2005). Laccobriga Collection, 01. Lagos: Lagos Municipal Council, p. 96.
https://www.academia.edu/211308/_2008_Entre_Muralhas_e_Templos_A_interven%C3%A7%C3%A3o_arqueol%C3%B3gica_no_Largo_de
_Santa_Maria_da_Gra%C3%A7a_Lagos_2004_2005_Between_City_walls_and_Temples_The_archaeological_intervention_in_the_Largo
_de_Santa_Maria_de_Gra%C3%A7a_Lagos_2004_2005_

GOMES, Mário Varela; PAULO, Luís Campos (2011) – The Visigothic Necropolis of Padrão (Raposeira, Vila do Bispo). In O Arqueólogo Português, 5th series, vol. 1. Lisbon: National Museum of Archaeology, pp. 591–656.
https://www.academia.edu/67533805/A_necr%C3%B3pole_visig%C3%B3tica_do_Padr%C3%A3o_Raposeira_Vila_do_Bispo_

DGEMN (1962) – Parish Church of Vila do Bispo. Bulletin of the Directorate-General for National Buildings and Monuments, No. 107, Lisbon: Ministry of Public Works.
http://dgemn-digital.wikidot.com/indice-dos-boletins

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Research, text & photography by Ricardo Soares
Archaeologist & museologist
Municipality and Museum of Vila do Bispo – Celeiro da História

Investigação, texto & fotografia de Ricardo Soares
@rqueólogo & museólogo
Município e Museu de Vila do Bispo - Celeiro da História